Baked Rigatoni with Sausage and Mushroom

Baked Rigatoni with sausage and mushrooms – This hearty pasta your family will savor.

Serves 6

1 ounce dried porcini mushrooms

1 cup hot water

Rinse porcini mushrooms.  Place in medium bowl.  Add 1 cup hot water, cover, and let stand until softened, about 20 minutes.  Drain, reserving soaking liquid.  Chop porcini.

To Make Sauce

1 tablespoon, olive oil

1 large onion, finely chopped

Heat olive oil in a heavy large pot over medium heat.  Add onion; sauté until tender, about 10 minutes. 

1 ¼ pounds hot or mild Italian sausages, cut into bite size pieces

Add sausage to onions, increase heat to high and cook until no longer pink, about 10 minutes.

1 pound button mushrooms, sliced

1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, chopped

Add button mushrooms and chopped rosemary to pot and stir until mushrooms begin to soften, about 8 minutes.

Reserved porcini soaking liquid

½ cup dry white wine

1 bay leaf

Add porcini mushrooms, wine, and bay leaf to pot and boil until almost all liquid evaporates, stirring frequently, about 6 minutes.  Reserving soaking liquid.  Add porcini soaking liquid to pot leaving sediment behind. 

1 cup beef broth

Pour in beef broth and bring to a boil until sauce is syrupy, stirring occasionally, about 10-15 minutes.

1 cup half and half

Add half and half, boil until slightly thickened.  

Prepare baking dish

Brush a 3 ½ -quart glass or porcelain baking dish with oil. 

Prepare Pasta

1 pound rigatoni pasta

½ cups Parmesan cheese, freshly grated

Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally.  Drain.  Add to the pot of sauce.  Mix freshly grated Parmesan cheese in with pasta and sauce.  Season with salt and pepper.  Put into prepared baking dish.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Cover dish with foil.  Bake pasta just until hot but not bubbling, about 25 minutes. Sprinkle with additional cheese.